Machine for coating confectionery.



PATENTED MAY 8, 1906.

w. H. WEEKS. MACHINE FOR comma GONPEGTIQMRY.

APPLICATION TILE FEE. 3,1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

IIIYEIITDR WITNESSES 74.74.

l TTORIIEY.

PATENTED MAY 8, 1906 W. H. WEEKS.

MACHINE FOR COATIXG GONFEGTIONERY.

AIPLIGATIOZQ EILED FEB. 9, 1906.

8 SHEETSSHBET 3 INVENTUR a Wuu "mm-y.

E mrnssszs Q0 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

wnirisn H. WEEKS, or rHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA. k

MAGHlNE FOR COATING CQNFECTIONERY.

no. cocoon.

Specification of Lott-Br! ratfint lstented May 8, 3906.

A pplicatiou filed February 9. 1908. Saris} @0314.

To all whom it nary concern:

" Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. WEEKS, a

citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in il'lsohincs for Costingflonfsctionery, of which tho foliowing is a full, clear, and exact (inscription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to machines for costing cream drops, csrsmcls, csndy corcs, or other filling: material with chocolate or other soluble costing substance which will solidify on GXPOHH'L. to sir.

llcrctolorc such nmchincs have been consiructcrl of two leading typos, in on of which the core-supporting device is a fixed clczncnl oi the dipping mechanism, and the u vibrating mechanism to sha e ofi the surplus coaiin siter dipping is a li c fixed element of hot '1, cspshls only of acting on the corosupporting clement, through the dipping mechanism of which it forms an inseparable part. while in the other type of such machines the core-supporting clement is a. detachable clement mechanically distinct from both tho d1 (ii ping and vibrating elements, while the vihratlng element is also mechanically and o erstivcly fiistint from both. 13 both esct eso mac unes,re( uirin c i of the or filling below t c sur faoe (if ilii coating solution in the tank, it has heretoforc been dccmcd essential that the dipping mechanism csrrying the core -supporting tray should be rcciprooated in a, strictly pore pcndicular plane, this characteristic principlc of'construction and 0 oration re uiring complicated mechanism a )ove the so ution? tank to actuate and guide the reciprocating dipping mechanism in its up and down movement and, moreover, necessitating the employment of screens hinged on the di ping mechanism to cover the open top of t o coresupporting tray, with mechanism to operate such screens to prevent the cores floating out of the tray into the solution on the downward reciprocatory movement into the tank.

The first rcferred'to t 'pe of those machines is described in Lettcrs atcnt No. 492,295 to Holmes and No. 533,974 to Waits-r, while the second referred to type is described in two several Letters Patent granted to me, Nos. 534,633 and 689,067. These. two types of machines differed in prim-iplc from oach other also in that in tho first referred to the oore-su porting tray formed an integral part of the (lip ing mechanism and was incapable of rcmovsl therefrom for the purposes of filling with cores, jarring oil the surplus coating, and of discharging the coated cores. Hence the vibrating and discharging mechanism necessarily formed a combined element of the dipping mechanism in the unitary machine, while in the latter or second referred to type of machines, though the principle of perpendicular dipping was characteristic thereof, the core-s11 porting tray was comlete' in itself, dotac able from the dippingrame for filling, vibrating, and disohorgmg Hence ther was mounted on the frame of said last-mentioned type of prior machines conveniently adjacent to the dip ing mechanism. and over the solution-ta a vibratlog a.nd reversing frame, and this latter fcature I have retained in substance in my 7 resent machine about to be described. As efore stated, both these types of prior machines of this ciass comprise more or less complex mechanism, due largely to the basic principle involved in them of a perpendicular mg. i l hs objects sought for'and attained in my present invention, are tho simplification of the clipping mechanism and the avoidance of the former complex actuating and devices therefor, the avoidance of .ty for c hingod cover for the core-so porting tray. and means to swin it over and the tray'beforo and filter ping the rovision of means to automation y remove the filled tray after dipping from the clipping mechanism onto the receiving, vibrating, and disoha frame, and, finally, the provision of a, soution-tank ofsuch character that a much less do th of coating solution is required and w orein the solution will conseuentl tend to flow by gravity to that and t also where the core-filled dipping-tray initially caters the solution and away from the opposite end thereof, over which the receiving, vibrating, and discharging frame is located.

I have found from practical tests that at least for machines not too large in si'ze; the principle of po nriicaiar dippi'n is not at all essential an that's 'm'ost e active and sim ie device can be constructed and operat on the rinoipie of a horizontal movement of the ippixag-frame, efi'cctin a. clown.- wardly-inolined si swine dipping 0 the coresupporting tray, and my present invention involves as its basic feature mechanism constructed and operating on that principle of dipping the core-supporting tray. 1 have also found that such principle of dipping effected by the hereinafter-described construction and arrangement of the movable dippi ng-fra me, means to actuate it, and means to guide it in such movement into, through, and out of the solutiolrtank will obviate the necessity for any cover for the removable core-holding tray and also that the latter may he operatively supported thereon during dipping solely by gravity, due to its weight, and, moreover, by appropriate arrangement of the tray receiving, vibrating, and discharging frame relatively to he solution-tank and the moving dipping-frame and its actuating devices each tray in the series will after dipping be automatically dischargedfrorn the moving dipping-frame as it is brought into horizontal parallelism with the? tray receiving and discharging frame.

To these ends my invention consists, essentially, of the combination of the following elements, constituting a machine of the class recitedna1nel v, a. solution-tank which is prefcrably a substantially oblong rectangular structure with a horizontally-inclined basal interior and a double bottom for hot water, a pair of transversely-n1ounted shafts within the tank and a pair of endless chains between the same, means to rotate one of said shafts as a main driving-shaft for the unitary machine, means mounted upon each of said chains and constituting a tlipping-fratne adapted to removably support by gravity a series of detached core su portin trays, guiding devices on the inner ace of t ie oppo-- site vertical walls of said tank operating to direct the path of movement ofthe traveling dipping-frame in a horizontally-inclined direction first downwar-lly and then upwardly, a receiving-frame mounted over the shallow end of the tank and in such relation to the movable dipping mechanism that on the terminus of the u twardly-inclined travel there of in respect oi each tray supported tllt'TlLfl the latter will he brought into horizontal parallelism with said receiving-frame and be antomatically discharged thereupon.

My invention also comprises mounting said receiving-frame upon a pairof vertical rods substantially parallel with the exterior walls of the tank, means to reciprocate the vertical rods substantially parallel with the exterior walls of the tank, meansito reciprocate the vertical rods of said receiving-frame to cause it. to operate as a shaking-t able, and means constitutim a divided and hinged outer end of said mine to reverse the tray and discharge its contents.

In the draw ngs illustrating my invention; Figure t is a side elevation of the solutiontank, the receiving and vibrating frame, and

some other.adjunctive parts of the machine. Fig. 2 is a like view from the opposite side of the machine. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the machine, and Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2,'A is an open-topped tank to receive the coating solution. it is substantially rectanular 1n planular outline and is provided with a double bottom, the hollow space a providing means to hold a supply of hot. water delivered to it from perforated pipes (1 within the same supplied from pipes b or other suitable source to keep the chocolate or other solution in proper liquid condition suitable for coating purposes. The supply 11 is preferably placed at the rearward or shallow end of the tank and a suitable overflowpipe If at its opposite or deep end, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. The tank A is constructed with a horizontally-inclined bottom in order primarily to cause a constant tendency of the contained solution to flow by gravity from the shallow end to the deeper end and to leave the former part of the tank comparatively free from solution for the twofold purpose of enabling the tray-receiving frame to be located over the shallow end of the tank and adjacent to but rearward of the path of travel of the dipping-frame and in order that such path of travel shall be in a. plane below the top edge of the tank and insure a sulunersion of the dipping-frame within the coating solution contained therein.

The solution-tank A is suitably supported above the factory floor, such as by standards or le s B B, Fig. 1, on one of the long sides and iy like means B B, Fig. 2, on the other of the longsides. The standards B'Pf. which are 0 posite each other, are utilized as bearings or the main driving-shaft b, which extends through said standards, and on the end thereof which extends through the standard B, Fig. 1, is mounted the driving-pulley b driven by a belt. (Not shown.)

()n the op osite side of the machine on the extreme endiof the driving-shaft b, which extends through the opposite standard B Fig. 2, is mounted a sprocket wheel c, which drives an endless chain c, which in turn drives another sprocket-wheel c. The latter is mounted on a shaft which is the driven shaft of the dipping frame. (See Fig. 3. Said shaft 0 has its bearing at one end in a journal c, set into the interior face of one of the verticai walls of the tank while the other end (on which the sprocket-wheels is mounted) passes through a stuffing-box t! in the opposite wall of the tank, a hub d for said sprocket-wheel c being mounted sleeve-like on the projecting end of said shaft 1), said hub having its head end provided with ratchet-teeth. An annularly-grooved collar 0', provided with corresponding teeth, is mounted on the outer extremity of the shaft 5 and is controlled by a connecting and disconnecting levcrf, pivoted on r bracket 6, the free end of the lever being connected by arm f with controller-her 2 s.- longitudincl movement of which stops or stsris the machine by connecting cr'disccn" necting the described ectustingelernents.

Mounted fast on the said shaft c within the tank and adjacent to the vertical walls thereof are oppositelydis osed sprocket- Wheels (3 d, each of which rives an endless chain d (3 which in turn drives another pai l of oppositely-disposed sprocket-wheels m m,

coreholding tray which is initially placed upon the dipping-frame over the larger sprocket-wheels m will be slightly shove the solution in the tank, while at the point above the smaller sprocket-wheels d a core-holding tray resting on the endless-chain dippingfrsme will be not only wholl shove the solution in the tank, but be Vrought at that point into horizontal erallclism with the recciving-frcrne N, so t at the next recurring movable troy carried to that point by the endless-chain dipping-frame will automoticztll y push the previous tray forward on the receiving-frame, and so on for each tray in the series.

The dipping-frame consists of the o positcly-dis osed parallel endless chains d connectest suitable intervals by one or more cross-bars '1, preferably in the form of sngle-irons, adapted to sup ort and beer against the edge of e core-ho ding tm and upon said chains are mounted inward y-projecting lugs t 6, adapted to support the opposite edge of the tray. These trays are now well known in the art and are usnallyconstructed of wire, being esssntiaily'c wire frame rectangular in plenular outline and with two sets of intermediate wires crossing each other and bent at the intersections to form core-holding pockets of various shapes. Examples of such trays suitable to be used with my new machine may be found described in German Patent to Reiche, No. 18,943, dated December 11, 1881, and United States Letters Patent No. 634,533, dated October 10, 1899, and No. 684,147, dated October 8, 1901, both granted to me.

The series of angle-iron cross-bars r and" inward! *projectin lugs )3, arranged in pairs at suite is interva s on the endless chains d d, are well ads ted to support and maintain in position sole y b gravity and their weight the filled core-ho] ing trays during the passage of both through the coating solution in the tsnksnd freely permitthe tray to he slid oil the some onto the receiving-frame, while the vertical portion of the angle-bar 1', carried forward by the moving dipping-frame, operates by a pushing contact against the detschcd tray to slide it the dip ing-frame and onto the receiving-frame, whi e the next succeeding tray brought to the same position by the di ping-frame displaces the preceding trary on t e receiving-frame, pushing it for Ward to the ivoted discharge end thereof, as hereinafter escribed. i

Guiding devices to direct the requisite path of movement of the endless-chain dip ping franie consist of u air of oppositelydisposcd wheels 3 s wit sprocket pins or other like devices on the periphery to mesh with the 0 en links of'the sprocket-chains (i (1, these w eels s 8 being mounted rototobly on short shafts 8, having hearings in an adjustable slotted late 8, secured to the inner walls of the so ution tank. (See Fig. 4.) These wheeluidcs are placed above the upper section of the endless chain and in such relation to the sprocket-wheels m and d and to the tank as to carry the u er section of the chains first in a downward y-inclined dircction and then in an upwardly-inclined rlirection, while the connecting and supporting bars 1" r operate also as guides by preserving the parallelism of the endless chains d d and prevent any sagging thereof, although the trays resting on the projecting lugs t t and bars r r aid to some extent in producing that W effect.

In'constructing, combining, and arranging within the tank the movable dippingfrurne and its actuating mechanism shore described said elements are to be located within the tank inward the forward end thereof and within the comparatively deep portion thereof and are of such size cnd character as to bring the tray-receiving end of the movable frame sli htly above the maximum height of the so ution in the took end also to leave the interior of the rearward or shallower end of the tank unoccupied by any art of the some, the trey receiving and r ischarging frame is to be located on the tank over said shallow end thereof, whereby several objects are accomplished narnely, the core-holding treys after filling with cores to be coated are placed by hand on the dipping-frame at its highest point and above the solution, are carried thence in a sidewise but downwnrdly inclined direction throughlthe solution until in succession they reach the opposite terminus oftravel of the dipping-frame, which thereby "lmngscseh dipped trey into a position adjacnt to cnrl in the some horizontal plane with such re'ceivingrame and in position to be dischorged thereon, as hereinafter described. The drippings from the tray and its contents while temporarily resting on the solvingfrsrne will drop into the tenkbelow and tend IIO to flow by gravity into the main body of the solution and toward the deep end oi the frame, and this construction, proportion, and arrangement of the dipping-frame and its ectuating mechanism and of the tank will leave the forward or shallow end of the tank cornparatively free of solutic beneath the tray receivin and discharging frame. The said frame 1 is primarily a tray-receiving frame; and it consists (see Fig. 3) of a. pair of oppo sitely-disposed fiat bars F F, supported edgewise 0n brackets h it, these latter being re spectively mounted on a pair of vertical rods 71 it (see Figs. 1 and 2) outside of and parallel with each other and with the vertical side walls of the tank, these rods beint n'iountcd, respectively, on the standards l3 and B On the inner face of each frame-bar F is a se ries of projecting pins or lugs it, adapted to receive and support the core-holding tray, while the receiving ends of the frame-burs are slightly curved outwardly by preference to afford no obstruction to the truy while it is being slid onto the pins or lugs 1 of the friuue It is essential to the successful routing of such cores that means he provided to vibrat the core-supporting tray with the coziicd cores thereon alter dipping in order to shiilo:

oil the surplus coating and give u smooth ere terior surt'ece to the coated core, and it is further essential that means he provided to invert the tilled core-supporting troy after such vibrating, to remove the coated cores from the tray, they being then in more or less soft and moist condition and incapable of rcmovel by hand. To accomplish these ends. the trays as delivered upon the nforesnid rcceiving-lrume are to be removed to and placed upon :1 jarring and dischnrging lrnin'c. such as that described in aforesaid Letters Patent No. 634,633. granted tome. iind such prefer, however, to add appropriate mechuuism, as shown in the drawings to cnnblc thc receiving-frame i to perform the additional functions of jarring the tray and dischurging its contents. This is ncomplishcd by the provision of u guidc-hrnclu't u lixcd on the tunicwill]. and the provision of n coilcd spring 1, having its bearing between the snid guide bracket 11' und the frame-bracket h. The weight of the lillcd tray is sullicicnt to slightly I ing ironic l". n frame may be readily mounted upon ItziT- 3 2.} A like construction and combination of elements arranged upon the opposite side of the machine. (See Fig. 1.} Compression of the spring and depression of the vertical rods li will cause the contact-sleeve a: to bear upon the points of the ratchet-wheel c and cause a vertical vibration of the core-holding tray for the few seconds that it is resting on the receiving-frame F, which is thus temporerily converted into a vibrating frame. Menus are provided to convert the rearward portion of the receiving-frame F into a discharging device, these means consisting of a short list her .l, placed edgewise inside of and parallel niih the frame-bar F, the two being hinged together at A at their extreme ends, so that when the tray is slid back upon such hinged portion the latter and the tray supported thereon may be inverted to discharge the coated cores upon .21 board or other receiving means supported temporarily upon hrnchcis. such us A, and prevented from sidinvisc displa ment by means such as lriuclccts l'".

The operation of the machine will probnlil he we'll understood from the foregoing description of its construction, but may be bricll siur'cd as follows: The endless-chain dipping-i'rnme. provided with n series of pairs of troy-holding bars and logs, each tray as liiicd with cores to hc conted. is led to the nnichinc by phn-ing it upon the highest point ol the dipping-ironic, which is over the sprochct-whccl m and nbove the solution in the tank. A sci-ics.ol such trays is therefore curried succcssivcly into the solution in it downwnrdly -in liucd direction and finally brought up to n point over the smaller sprocltotmihccl if? at which point it is in the some horizontal plane with the trny-receiv As the trays rest by gravity oulv on the eiullcss-chuin dipping-frame,

catch troy us it is brought thcrebv to a mint over the smaller sproclict-whecl 1] will be pushed forward bv the bur r' of the moving llliiilllltI-llillilt and be automatically slid forward ii]? the moving dipping-frame and onto the troy-receiving frame, where its weight there n will cause snid frame to be vibrated monu-ninrilv by the menus belorc described,

; while the next succeeding tray to be delivcompress the spring and depress the support ing-rod It the lower end of which is adjustnbly secured in u contnct-slccvc .1". which is norninlly held by the spring 5/ slightly above thc points of n ratchet-whccl c, mounted inst uponihcshultl)bctvi'ccnthcl'uccotthcsiundand B and the sprocket-heel t7". i'hcc Fig.

crcd onto the recciving-t'rmne will push the preceding ne onto the jointed renrwnrd end of such .rume, where it can he inverted end its contents dischnrgcdf Having thus described my invention, l chum us new and desire to secure by Letters lutcnl 1. ln i1muchini-hircouting cores by n sidewise dippin n thc combinution with a suitnble soliltioiucontuining lt.l.llltll"l\ of u movuldc dipping'irnnic :nluptcd to support and curry lt lllilt'lit'il 1or -holdingtray. means to direct thc pnih oi mow-nu ii of said dipping ironic through the s h:ti iorccepiucle in :1

downwardly and then an upwardly inclined horizontal direction, and a tray-receiving frame mounted upon the solution-receptacle and in such relation to the movable dip ingframe that the latter will be brought into onzontal parallelism with the tray-receivin frame and automatically discharge the dippe tray thereon.

2. In a machine for coating cores by dipping them into a coating solution by a downwardly-inclined horizontal dipping of the core-holdin tray, the combination with a suitable so ution-rece taele having an inclined basal interior, 0 a movable dippingfralne therein ada ted to support a series of detached core-hol ing tra s, a tray-receiving frame mounted over an near the shallow end of the receptacle, actuatin and guiding devices operating to carr the ipping-frame and the trays supported t ereon into, through and out of the solution in the receptacle in an inclined horizontal direction, and bring each tray, after dipping, into position adjacent to and in the same horizontal plane with the tray-receiving frame and automatically discharge them successively thereon.

3. In a machine for coating cores by dipping, the combination of the following instrumentalities, namely a solution-receptacle of substantially oblong rectangular form in planular outline and having an inclined basal interior, a tray-receiving frame mounted over the shallower end thereof, a movable dippingframe comprising a pair of oppositely-dis posed endless c rains carrying connectingars and projecting lugs adapted to support and discharge a detached core-holdin tray, and actuating and guiding devices or the dipping-frame adapted and operating to receive saidtray thereon at the deep end of the solution-recep tacle, carry it in a downward lyinclined direction through the solution, and bring it therefrom into horizontal parallelism with said receiving-frame and automatically discharge it thereon.

4. In a machine for coating cores by di ping, the combination with a substantially oblong rectangular solution-receptacle having an inclined basal interior, of means to (ii the cores therein in an inclined horizonta direction, said means consisting of a pair of transversely-disposed shafts within the receptacle carrying op ositely-dis osed s rocket-wheels, a an of endless 0 sins iven thereby, gui ing devices within the tank operating to control the direction of movement of said chains, first in a downwardly-inclined and then in an 11 wardly-inclined direction, devices mounte upon said chains adapted to support thereon a series of detached core-holding'trays, by gravity, and a tray-receiving frame mounted upon the rearward end of said solution-receptacle, ada ted to receive-said trays successively disc arged from the endless c ain on the terminus of their upwardly-inclined travel.

5. In a machine of the character recited, the combination with a solution-receptacle having an inclined basal interior, a tray-receiving frame mounted over the shallower end thereof, an endless-chain dipping-frame mounted and operating within the deeper portion of the receptacle and forward of the trayreceiving frame, means to removably su ort thereon one or more detached coreholding trays, means to actuate said chain dip in -frame, consisting of a pair of opposite yisposed s rocket-wheels at the extreme deep end 0 the tank, a shaft therefor, another pair of oppositely-disposed sprocketwheels arallel with those. first recited, a driven sliaft u on which the same are mounted, means to rive said shaft, means to conneet and disconnect said shaft with the driving means, and guiding devices within the tank operating to direct the ath of movement of the dipping-fra1ne in an inclined. horizontal direction.

6. In a machine of the class recited, comprisin a solution-receptacle, a movable dipping-flame adapted to support a detached core-holding tray, and means to direct the path of movement of said dipping-frame through the coating solution in a iorizontally-inclined direction and automatically discharge therefrom the supported tray after dipping, of a yieldingly-supported tray-receivin frame mounted over the solution-receptac e rearwardly adjacent to and in the same horizontal plane with the dischar s end of the dip ing mechanism, vibrating evices with wlnc said yieldingly-supported frame is operatively engaged by a weight or load on the frame, and a supplemental tray-receiving frame hinged to the main frame and adapts to support and invert a core-holding trayslid thereon from the main frame.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature this 3d day of February,.

WILLIAM H. WEEKS. Witnesses:

ALFRED Rosmvs'rnm, A. M. BIDDLE 

